Public integrity programs in Brazil: indicators and challenges

Abstract This article describes the public integrity programs implemented by the Brazilian direct public administration, to compare their practices with the international anti-corruption regime. The study analyzed 12 public integrity programs implemented by federal, state, and municipal governments. Following the practices provided for in the national and international anti-corruption regime, each program was analyzed using 36 indicators, grouped into 9 guidelines. The results indicate that, although there is still a small number of programs, on average, 70% of the practices provided for in these regimes are observed at least partially. The evidence points out that the main challenges for improving these programs are the adoption of prior checks, the appropriate combination between the channels of complaints and internal investigations, and the promotion of institutional capacities. The study describes the practices that public integrity programs adopt through a set of indicators that can be compared and replicated in future research on the topic.